Juan Mata Says Man United Teammate David De Gea is Underappreciated

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has claimed that David De Gea is underappreciated away from the Premier League.

The Spanish goalkeeper has excelled so far this season, earning widespread plaudits for his standout performance in a 3-1 victory over Arsenal earlier this month.

But Mata has insisted that his compatriot, who finished 20th in the recent Ballon d'Or voting, is not given the recognition he deserves outside of England.

"You know, everything has been said about David from journalists, ex-players, current players, from myself," Mata told United Review.

"He is great. He is fantastic. He has an incredible talent and has shown that in every single game in every single season, which is so difficult to do.

"His consistency is what makes him the best or one of the best, for sure. He showed it on a big stage like Arsenal as he made sure we got the points.

"You know what? I don’t know why some people don’t appreciate him and how good he is. He’s not always on the list of the best goalkeepers in the world, or whatever these awards are, and, for me, it’s definite.

"I see his games week in and week out and can see he is great and fantastic. He has to be in the top three, top two or top one.

"For me, he’s the best and it would be nice if more journalists, not just in England as he is very well appreciated in England, but in different countries, realized how good he is."

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